If The Sky Comes Falling Down
by Kolbie Ru-Ru
Summary: For you, there's nothing in this world I wouldn't do. (OR: AU!Sasuke finds out that the canon world kind of sucks.) AU/Time Travel. No Pairings. [Dedicated to KizunaChaos.]
1. Chapter 1

**Notes: This is a rewrite, meaning the plot is relatively the same, but I'm rewriting the story to better fit it. That being said, skip to part three for the new stuff. Hope you enjoy.**

* * *

 **I.**

Sighing softly to himself, he continues to idly spin the kunai on his finger around and around as he contemplates recent events. Before he'd been unceremoniously killed, he'd lead a good life. He'd made his parents proud of him through his own merit. He'd become the Hokage's right hand. He, along with his certifiable teammates, had made Konoha feared once again, and, despite a few skirmishes here and there, they'd been able to maintain peace.

Well, maybe most people wouldn't consider uncovering a plot to put the whole world under a genjutsu by Uchiha Madara - who wasn't actually dead, apparently - and Kakashi-sensei's old teammate - who _also_ wasn't really dead - to be a mere 'skirmish', _but_ he'd seen weirder things. (Kami knows Team 7 attracted trouble like flies to honey.) Besides, they'd managed to stop it in the end, so it doesn't really count. Obito had even been coaxed into changing sides (again), so it was a boon, really. His cousin's prowess with the Sharingan wasn't anything to sneeze at, even if it came nowhere close to surpassing his own.

His life had been _more_ than good, so, _of course_ , he was killed by a nameless shinobi whilst on a random courier mission - He hadn't even been able to finish said insignificant mission! He can only be thankful that his genin hadn't been with him; those little snots were only a couple of months out of the academy and in way over their heads. He's glad his teammates weren't there, either. Sakura would probably have cried all over him (and successfully ruined any remaining cool factor he'd had left), and Naruto would have threatened him to _not_ die or something else equally moronic. And his stupid sensei would have blamed himself - _is_ blaming himself, most likely - because he thinks he should have the ability to save everyone, even when there's no possible way he could have.

He has no regrets, not really, which brings him to where he is now, alive and whole. He stops the careless twirling and closes his hand around the hilt, squeezing hard enough that his knuckles turn white. _Useless shinigami_ , he thinks angrily, disgust coloring the words.

Some people might jump at the chance to live again; they might even beg the death god to prevent the inevitable. Those people are idiots. Sasuke had never asked for this; he _didn't_ ask for this.

This is _not_ a gift.

The grey-skinned, demonic creature had smiled dangerously as he had offered the Uchiha another 'chance', and Sasuke, who had always been taught to look underneath the underneath, had seen right through the god's deception. Despite grudgingly accepting Naruto as his Hokage - because, knucklehead or not, Naruto had a way with words and could back _up_ those words, making him a somewhat decent leader - he had never fully believed in his 'friendship-can-conquer-anything', blindly trusting ideals. He's certain that even Sakura - who was only slightly less brain damaged, if only because she personally contributed to Naruto's head injuries - wasn't completely convinced.

So he'd demanded to know what the shinigami was up to because _he_ can't be bothered to play mind games when being blunt will get him the information he wants much faster.

The shinigami had showed off perfectly white teeth that sharply contrasted the being's overall dreary and dull theme. _"Your counterpart will destroy this world without your intervention."  
_

 _"Counterpart?"_ He'd parroted blankly, only marginally confused. If the dead could be brought back to life on a whim, he wouldn't have dismissed the idea of another world entirely. The sinister entity's next words had only confirmed his suspicions.

Gleeful grin widening, the spectral creature had elaborated, _"There is more than just your world out there, boy. There are countless worlds and within those, countless planes of existence,_ but _all of them share several universal constants."_ He'd held a wrinkled, clawed hand up and counted down as he'd explained, _"The first is that there must always be a Konoha; the second, that there always be a team made up of Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura, and Uchiha Sasuke. And the third constant..."  
_

His appendage had resumed its place as the horned, otherworldly being trailed off, and his dark amusement had morphed into an enigmatic expression. _"...is not for one such as you to know."_ Sasuke had gritted his teeth in annoyance, then, and the soul collector had spoken before he could demand an answer. _"Be grateful for the information you have been deigned to know. No other human before now has had such a privilege."_

 _"Why are you telling me all this? What would you have me do?"_ He'd questioned, stamping down on his indignation.

The shinigami had then finally dropped all pretenses. _"Your counterpart will destroy this world; I only ask that you save it."_

And before he could refuse - or say anything at all - the world had shifted, and he'd found himself in his current predicament: trapped in an imitation of his old room, back at the Main House. And he actually means _'trapped'._ The door opens, but outside is nothing but darkness. And he instinctively knows that attempting to navigate his way around in it would be fruitless; he's meant to wait _patiently_ for whatever the death god has in store for him. He scoffs and flicks his wrist expertly, embedding the weapon in the wall in a fit of anger.

A crack forms around the kunai, and then the whole room disintegrates.

Startled, Sasuke falls through the quickly disappearing floor with an undignified yelp (that he will never admit to or acknowledge, _ever_ ) only to land gently in an identical room, with a minor difference.

"Who are _you?_ " Demands a mirror image of himself - that is, if he were a twelve year old brat. The kid radiates angst, and his scowl looks more like a childish pout than the murderous vibe he's going for. Well, now he understands why no one ever took him seriously at that age.

Adopting his 'you're-nothing-to-me-but-I'll-indulge-you-nonetheless' expression (shamelessly copied from his sensei to use against his own students), he says easily, "Apparently, I'm you." Now that his 'counterpart' is here, all the missing pieces have fallen into place - quite literally. That damn shinigami should have been more forthcoming from the start, but at least he understands now. "From another world," he adds at the kid's skepticism, which naturally increases at such a wild claim.

He leans against the wall, arms crossed, as the kid practically hisses, "That's impossible."

"Do you know where we are?" He asks abruptly, deciding, as usual, that bluntness would better serve him here. Before the kid can answer, he says dismissively, "Yes, it looks like your room, but _where are we?_ "

Mini-Sasuke's indignant expression changes into one of consideration as he quickly glances around the confined space while still keeping his attention fixed on him. Cautiously, the kid backs up and tries the door as he had done and finds the same nothingness. He whirls around and glares heatedly. "What is this?"

"' _This_ _'_ is a manifestation inside your mind," The older Uchiha replies. ' _Probably'_ , he doesn't say because he's mostly sure he's right, and he doesn't want to freak the kid out. "My consciousness has been forcibly added to yours, and this room is a safety measure meant to contain me." That's what he's going with, anyway. When he damaged the wall of his 'cage', it probably alerted the kid and led to this little meeting.

Eyebrows furrowed, the genin(?) vocalizes his suspicions, "How do I know this isn't an illusion?"

"You don't." He shrugs, and the kid's frown deepens. "Do you want to know why I'm here before attempting to force me out?" He offers. He doesn't know what will happen if his counterpart tries to purge him from his mind, and he doesn't really want to find out. The shinigami has a plan for him, obviously, but his safety was never exactly guaranteed.

Tensing even more, uncertainty flickers across the kid's face, but he eventually nods tersely.

"I died," he begins, and the kid can't quite hide his shock at the admission. Regardless, he goes on, "But the god of death stopped me from going wherever I was supposed to go and told me I had to save another world - _your_ world." He leaves out ' _from you'_ because, as long as the kid agrees to help him, it won't matter anyway.

"Save it from _what_?" Mini-Sasuke demands immediately, and he has to fight not to smirk at the irony. The kid also blurts out, "Why do you even care?"

Regarding the shaken, bitter child before him, he wonders what his counterpart has gone through in only twelve years. Well, he'll know soon enough. As for the second question... Heh, maybe his moronic teammates have brushed off on him, or Itachi's peace-loving idealism has influenced him after all these years. Shrugging again, he retorts, "Does it matter? Some awful things are going to happen unless I prevent them."

As the kid mulls over that bit of information, he reveals at length, "In order to do that, you're going to have to accept me - my consciousness, my memories, everything." His counterpart's eyes widen slightly in surprise, and the older Uchiha continues, "I can't promise you'll be the same person. Despite our physical similarities, we're obviously very different people." Moving away from the wall, he slinks toward the child and bends down enough to be eye-level. He then points out the one thing that will be the clincher for all versions of himself, no matter their differences in worlds or backgrounds or experiences. "But you'll be stronger."

Whatever misgivings the kid had crumble away before his resolve. Determination practically oozing from him, the child says, "I'll do it."

And the room falls to pieces around them.

 **II.**

He wakes to a blinding headache and a soul-shredding emptiness so agonizing in its intensity that it brings tears to his eyes. Clutching his chest, he scrambles out of bed and barely manages to make it to the bathroom in time to empty the contents of his stomach into the toilet. With that done, he dry heaves for a while, clinging to the porcelain bowl and sobbing uncontrollably as he attempts to make sense of the mess that is his mind.

He remembers _decades_ spent with his family unharmed, alive and whole, but all he can see is corpses littering the streets; his parents, gracelessly laid over one another in a puddle of their own blood; his brother, looming over him with cool eyes and harsh words.

He remembers countless afternoons playing with Naruto spent over at Minato-oji-san's and Kushina-oba-chan's, but all he hears is how the Fourth Hokage lost his life protecting the village against the Kyuubi; how nothing about his wife is ever mentioned, other than the fact that she lost her life as well; how his best friend is an orphan, _like him_ , and is ostracized by the village because his status as a jinchuuriki has somehow leaked.

He remembers being passed between the Sannin for babysitting and, later, training, along with the rest of his team, but he knows that Tsunade-obaa-chan abandoned the village years ago; that Orochimaru-sensei fled and became a missing-nin; that Ero-Sennin hasn't been in the village since his student died.

He remembers a life surrounded by loved ones, whether he'd wanted them or not, but now, he is completely and utterly alone.

He gets his breathing under control after some time, as well as his crying, and the ensuing silence threatens to consume him. His childhood home, the Uchiha compound, is too big for one person; it's supposed to be _brimming_ with people, with _life_. But he is all that is left - just him.

He loosens his hold on the toilet and slumps to the floor. Unbidden, a bitter smile forms on his face. No wonder the kid was so messed up. It also explains why he agreed so easily _and_ why, without his interference, he would seek to destroy everything - Everything was taken from him, after all. The smile vanishes as his thoughts turn toward _**(That Man)**_ his brother - his peace-loving, pacifist brother. Why would Itachi do something so completely against everything he's ever believed in? His earlier memories of this world line up almost perfectly with his own childhood. Where do the similarities end? He begins picking apart the events he can recall until...

His mind starts working furiously as he realizes it's been tampered with. The blank space of time between one memory and the next, as well as the faint sense that they've been influenced by someone else, tell him as much. And he'd bet anything that Itachi is the culprit. He clamps down upon the sense of wrongness, cleansing it in an effort to expunge the illusion. Suddenly, previously repressed memories unveil themselves as the fake ones fade away.

Itachi was crying that night. The fact that he took such measures to ensure Sasuke forgot about it is telling enough.

Hope - as cheesy as it seems - swells within him at this unexpected discovery, and he allows himself a moment to revel in it.

He's certain his brother was forced into action, but he doesn't know _why_. There's too much about this world he doesn't know, even with twelve years' worth of memories. Itachi would only attack the Clan if they were a threat to the village, and even then, only as a last resort. In his world, relations with the village were great. The Hokage and Clan Head - his father - were practically best friends, but _here_ , the Hokage and his wife - who was close with his mother - died when Sasuke was a baby.

And soon after, the Uchiha were moved to the Compound, cut off from the village, because it was an Uchiha - _Obito_ \- who was involved in the Kyuubi attack. He knows from his own world that the villagers were suspicious of the Clan after that, but since the Fourth was unshakeable in his belief that they had nothing to do with it, the divide never occurred. He can easily imagine the resentment and bitterness that would have risen between the Clan and the village; he thinks of the tense dinners and stony silences of his last memories of his family alive and knows he's right.

Being more than acquainted with the Elders' arrogance and tendency to make rash decisions, along with Fugaku's pride, Sasuke has no trouble believing his Clan was going to attempt a coup d'etat. Considering Itachi was in ANBU - and his father's words about his brother being the bridge between the Clan and the village - he figures Sarutobi knew and ordered his brother to massacre his family to save Konoha. The pieces slot into place, and Sasuke has his answer. The only remaining question is why _he_ was spared, but he already knows.

His brother loves the village - _peace_ \- more than the Clan, but Sasuke will always, always come first.

Now that he's aware of Itachi's sacrifice, well, it's time to return the favor, isn't it? Never mind Itachi's plan to have Sasuke avenge the Clan. It may be the older brother's duty to protect the little brother, but...

It's the role of the younger brother to never listen to his older brother and protect him, anyway.

 **III.**

The Uchiha Compound is a silent, unsettling thing.

Even now, as Sasuke moves through the once-bustling streets and his blood pumps from the exercise, the sheer emptiness of his _home_ sends goosebumps across his skin, sends shards of lancing pain through his heart, makes his eyes burn. There are no indicators of that night anywhere - no broken windows or torn paper doors, and still...

He laughs, brokenly, and shakes his head, running a hand through his hair. "Pull yourself together," he mutters aloud. He's twelve and twenty-two, and he should really have a better handle on his emotions by now. He inhales sharply and then exhales slowly, allowing all of the negative emotions in him to flow out. He'll find time later to mourn. He's spent twelve years bottling all of this up, and while not exactly healthy, he can keep it up, at least for now. He has goals to achieve, people to protect, and if there's anything he's good at, it's throwing himself into his training with single-minded intensity.

He reaches the deserted training ground and takes stock of the place. It's bare, save for the straw dummies and targets. He'd expected this and brought along his own supplies. It's time to train this body to match up to his old one's standards. There's bound to be some overreaching and general oversights otherwise.

His counterpart had been good, but with so many years without proper teachers (or genius godparents to beat techniques into him), he's nowhere near as good as _he_ _'d_ been at this age. Sasuke kind of wants to pat him on the head and let him know that he'd done the best he could, though. No one had ever shown him genuine kindness after the incident, and even if they had, he'd been too stubborn to accept it.

Brushing off those thoughts, he gets to work. Shuriken and kunai hit their targets, even when he twists and turns and closes his eyes. He's always had good spacial awareness. Next, he goes through his Clan's basic kata, slowly incorporating his 'new' moves (including those involving a sword he'd nicked from the Clan's armory) as he does so until the whole thing's a lot more cohesive. He'll feel the ache from muscles he's never used before tomorrow, but that won't be a problem for long.

After that, he dips into his relatively large chakra pool (that had definitely increased since he'd merged) in order to assess his body's ability to make use of his arsenal of ninjutsu. In the end, he's able to do the three basic techniques, his Clan's fire techniques, a few water and earth techniques, and finally, the Chidori and all of its variations. He's a little worse for wear, panting heavily, body already aching, and his chakra dangerously low, and the surrounding area has been marred beyond recognition. Nonetheless, he smirks, pleased with the results.

He drops to the ground, sprawls out, boneless, and stares up at the steadily darkening orange of the sky. The compound is still eerily quiet, and he can't quite think of this desolate place as home - not yet. But his brother's alive and hurting, all of his friends are still just kids in way over their heads, and there's a disillusioned, lost cousin of his out there plotting all of their deaths at this very moment.

He's twelve and twenty-two, an adult in a kid's body, and hell if he's not going to try to save everyone.

 **IV.**

They're all so young.

It's his first thought upon setting foot in the classroom, as his eyes take in the rowdy children, images of their older counterparts superimposing over all of them until he blinks it away. He spots a tiny Shikamaru drowsing next to a tiny Chouj somewhere near the back of the room. A tiny Kiba is laughing uproariously at something, whilst a tiny Hinata is shrinking into herself near the top row, and near the middle, a tiny Shino is blending quietly into the background. The sight of them all is bizarre, even if part of him insists he's seen it everyday for the past few years.

The rest of the kids aren't quite that familiar to him, even if his counterpart had shared all of his classes with them. Nevertheless, as he moves toward an open seat near the window, some of the girls recognize him and hurry to his side excitedly, pushing each other out of the way and generally just being nuisances. It takes him aback because while he'd certainly had fans, they'd been a bit more discreet than _this_. His counterpart's memories assure him that this is also normal, and he can't help feeling rather harried.

Nevertheless, he's beginning to realize that although he seems to have access to all of his counterpart's memories, they're still just that: _someone else's_ memories. They're the equivalent of reading someone's memoir or a personal account. He can call upon experiences that aren't his and draw information or conclusions from them, but the emotions or memories themselves don't affect him personally. Perhaps that's why he's been able to retain his own sense of self; he hasn't actually merged with a twelve year old, only taken control of his body. Somehow that feels wrong, but he ignores it. Nothing he can do about it now, anyway.

He's not entirely certain how to deal with what is effectively a mob, so he tunes them out to the best of his ability. The love declarations, while nice (in a roundabout-maybe-he-should-feel-flattered kind of way), are entirely inappropriate considering his mental age, and they're coming from easily infatuated children, all of whom should probably be more focused on their professions. Somewhat guiltily, he wonders if this is why they're most likely going to fail their team tests.

His train of thought - along with chatter from the rest of the room - is derailed quite thoroughly when two girls slam the doors open and wrestle each other as they try to gain entry. He'd know that head of pink hair anywhere, and he watches almost fondly as she argues with another familiar face. Sakura and Ino had always fought even as adults, but he supposes that's just what best friends _do_. He knows that they're not exactly on good terms _here_ (and he has a sneaking suspicion as to why), but he's sure they'll patch things up at some point. Both of them are just entirely too stubborn.

They eventually catch sight of him, and yet another argument turned brawl ensues as they attempt to sit next to him. He sighs, exasperated, and wonders if maybe he shouldn't have sat next to an open seat. Then again, whoever sat next to _him_ would probably have been harassed, so this might be for the best.

The last newly-minted genin to show up is Naruto, and it's only then that he realizes that the blond hadn't passed the graduation test. How had he gotten that headband? He refrains from asking, all too aware that doing so would raise questions and likely only result in a fight. Someone else asks him, anyway, and although he doesn't give any details, he doesn't seem to be lying. Sasuke will just have to press him for more information later.

Naruto's gaze meets his before he can look away, and the orange-clad ninja immediately frowns. He hops up on the table in front of Sasuke and glares at him. Irritated that he hadn't even _done_ anything to merit the action and not one to back down from a challenge, he glares back. He can practically feel the air crackling with tension. Then, inexplicably, Naruto falls forward, eliciting a _kiss_ between them, and their faces morph into horror and shock.

They instantly jump apart, gagging and wiping their mouths. Sasuke feels like he's going to throw up. He'd just kissed _Naruto_. Ugh. As he attempts to rid the whole incident from his mind, the girls team up on Naruto, and just for that moment, he's vindictively satisfied. Despite all of their in-fighting, it's Naruto who claims the coveted seat, and Sakura takes up the one next to him.

Not long after that, Iruka-sensei arrives and gives them his patented you're-leaving-I'll-miss-you-try-not-to-die speech, and soon, they're assigned to teams. He's not surprised when Team 7 meets his expectations (the shinigami had promised as much, after all), but he can't help being relieved that all of his friends are on the same teams as well. It's comforting, in a way.

They're dismissed for lunch with the instruction to return this afternoon, and with little else to do, Sasuke meanders the village, taking in all of the new-old buildings and shops and the variety of people running them. The lack of Uchiha milling about is painfully obvious, and he spares a moment to think about all of the people who'd been close friends with his Clan, whom must have felt some pain at the loss of comrades and lovers and customers. He wasn't the only one affected, but as a lonely child, his counterpart hadn't or didn't want to notice. It's easy to dwell on his own pain, after all.

He stops at a shop run by a little, old lady and buys a few dango. She makes some small talk with him, and he finds that he likes her. The dango is really, really good, too. He finishes the rest of it and prepares to pay, but she insists that it's on the house. He can't see any pity in her eyes, and yeah, he _definitely_ likes her. With a promise to return, he heads back toward the Academy, a little more cheerful.

He runs into Sakura, fidgeting on a bench and seeming to be waiting for someone. He plans to simply walk by her, but when she sees him, she practically lights up. "Oh, Sasuke-kun, you're back!"

He raises an eyebrow, unbidden. She doesn't seem to notice. "Now, we can continue where we left off!" She informs him with a pretty blush.

He has no earthly idea what she's talking about. And then it hits him: Naruto must have done something. When in doubt, assume it's the chronic prankster. It's a motto he picked up over the years, and it's usually right on the mark. "Where's Naruto?" He finally chimes in.

"Oh, see. There you go, changing the subject again." She goes on, heedless of his confusion. "Anyway, Naruto just picks fights with you. You know why he's so annoying? 'Cause he wasn't raised right. He doesn't have a mother or a father - no one to teach him right from wrong. Think about it. He just does whatever comes into his head."

He frowns, indignant on Naruto's behalf and disappointed in her ignorance, but she continues to put her foot in her mouth. "If I did things like Naruto, forget it! I mean, my parents would get mad, and I'd get in trouble. So of course, I don't do it. But if you don't have parents to tell you, how would you know? He's selfish and bratty. He's all alone." She ends the rant with a haughty, knowing tone, as if she could ever understand what it feels like - and that's the clincher, isn't it? This little girl has been raised by two loving parents and has never known true loneliness.

He's going to make sure she never has to. But before that, he has to clear up a few things.

Gently, he points out, "I don't have any parents either, Sakura." Her eyes widen in surprise, as if the thought had slipped her mind, and maybe it had. He and Naruto act nothing alike, after all. He smiles, weakly, "And yeah, maybe we'd be better off with parents to take care of us and scold us when we've done wrong-" He knows they would be, of course "-but we don't because they were taken from us." She looks to be on the verge of tears, but she needs to hear this, so he goes on, "Naruto can be loud and annoying sometimes, but honestly, I think he's dealing with it a lot better than me."

That's a little more honest than he'd normally allow himself to be, especially to someone who is basically a stranger, but it's the truth - he's still grieving. Naruto doesn't have anyone in particular to miss, but he feels that gaping _lack_ of something like love or affection all the same. Even his counterpart, who'd been blind to everything but his ambition, had been able to see that.

He glances over to Sakura, who'd begun crying, and he winces. He hadn't meant to do that, exactly. He'd just wanted to get her thinking. "Just give him a little more credit," he suggests. "Especially since he thinks the world of you."

She hiccups, tears running down her face, and he definitely did not sign up for this. He's _never_ been good with crying girls, and being dropped into an alternate world hasn't changed that. It might even be worse. He can't remember the last time he made a _child_ cry. He moves closer and pats her head, awkwardly.

"Uh, it's okay. Don't cry." He spends the next few minutes trying to calm her down, and he only drops his hand and backs away when her sobs turn into small sniffles.

She wipes her face, a bit clumsily, and then peeks at him through her eyelashes, clearly embarrassed. "Sorry, Sasuke-kun." She studies the ground as she explains, timidly, "I hadn't ever thought about it - how it must feel. You and Naruto... you're both really strong. I don't think I could take it if-" She sniffles again. "Anyway, you must hate me now."

"I don't hate you," he retorts - because new world or not, this is _Sakura_ , and he could never bring himself to hate her. Her head shoots up in surprise, and he inwardly scoffs. To her, he calmly states, "You didn't know, but now you do. It's okay."

She smiles tremulously, and the two of them walk back to the Academy together in comfortable silence.

Intermission was a little more eventful than he'd expected, but hopefully, this means his new teammate is willing to see Naruto in a different light. The kid's had it hard enough from everyone else. He deserves a break when it comes to his _team_.

* * *

 **End Notes: It was pointed out to me that AU!Sasuke was irrationally _mean_ for a supposedly experienced, 'happy' twenty-two year old man, especially concerning _children_ , and I agreed. It bugged me so much that I couldn't bring myself to write the next chapter. Also, I've been writing a mini-series revolving around the AU world, and _that_ Sasuke is completely different - thus, the rewrite.  
**

 **I hope you guys will like this one even better - I certainly do. It's not as... snarky, but I'm going to make up for that when Team 7 actually forms. Even then, it'll be more playful banter than anything, though. Let me know what you think! :D  
**

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 **Leave a review?  
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	2. Chapter 2

**Notes: Chapters will be around 5k, so despite my general rule of using five roman numerals every chapter, some - such as this one - will end up having less (or more), in order to fit the requirement.**

 **Thanks for the favs and follows - and especially the reviews! I'm glad this wasn't a total flop, haha.**

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 **I.**

When they all pile into the classroom for the last time (as students, anyway), Sakura reclaims her position beside him, but she doesn't gush over him, instead choosing to send him thoughtful glances. He much prefers this over the adoration, and he takes it as a good sign. Naruto notices, of course, and begins shooting Sasuke his own dark looks. He doesn't even twitch, staring down at the podium and waiting for Iruka-sensei to announce their new teachers.

As if summoned by his thoughts, said man walks into the room, followed closely by several adult shinobi - two of them being Asuma and Kurenai. Gesturing to them, the Chuunin announces, "A few of your jounin sensei have already arrived. The others will drop by as soon as they can, so wait patiently _like the good students I know you to be._ " The genial smile on his face never wavers, but the threat in his voice is clearly heard, as evidenced by the class settling down without a word.

Sasuke kind of misses being able to do that to his own brats, even if they'd grown immune to it shortly after becoming a team. He shoves the thought aside.

Knowing very well that his team's sensei will be no less than two hours late, he props his head on his hand and reviews his objectives. He intends to track Itachi down and to talk him out of his sacrificial plans, but considering his brother's obstinate nature and penchant for self-loathing, he realizes it won't be an easy task. Convincing the Hokage to allow him to go after his 'traitorous' sibling would be just as difficult, especially given his suspicions about why the man wouldn't inform Sasuke of Itachi's innocence.

Unless Sarutobi steps down as the village leader or deigns to tell the truth in the near future, Sasuke will have to achieve his goals in secret - perhaps by slipping away on a mission outside of the village or by confronting his brother should he visit Konoha for any reason. They're both risque moves, and he'll have to consider them carefully before he acts on either of them, however. Even the most benign of Team 7's missions have a tendency to go spectacularly awry, and he has a gut feeling that that holds true for _every_ version of it. He has to be cautious - if not for himself, then for everyone he intends to protect.

He withholds a sigh. Logically speaking, Itachi won't expect Sasuke to be strong enough to kill him yet, and thus, he won't force Sasuke's hand. But, knowing his worry-wart of a brother, Itachi will probably find some way to check up on him. That doesn't necessarily mean he'll do so in person, but there's also the fact that Itachi will need to insure Sasuke _does_ go after him. What if after all these years Sasuke's lost his drive? _This_ Itachi most likely believes that the only way Sasuke will grow stronger - stronger than Itachi's own enemies - is if he has a vendetta.

While he's not exactly _wrong_ , Sasuke knows from experience that his counterpart would have gotten so much stronger had he been driven by the need to _protect_. Vengeance can only take a person so far, and once it's been accomplished, there's usually nothing left. It consumes and devours. When one has people to protect, however, there's no limit to their strength, and it gives one a reason to keep on living. At least, that's what he believes.

Soon, it's only the three of them left - the other two having convinced Iruka-sensei that they could wait alone, and he idly wonders how long it'll take Naruto to start complaining (and rightfully so) when it occurs to him that in all likelihood _this_ Naruto and Kakashi-sensei haven't met yet. What reason would his run-from-the-problem-rather-than-facing-it-head-on mentor have for taking care of the son of his father figure when he probably thinks the man's death is his fault? He doubts Naruto would still be the dead-last were Sharingan Kakashi training him from the beginning - And he'd have _had to_ , if not in repayment for Minato-oji-san, then because he'd notice how no one was actually teaching Naruto anything.

Much as he'd expected, Naruto's incensed diatribe echoes around the room about thirty minutes in. Sakura had been surprisingly quiet right up until Naruto got the idea to prank their tardy sensei.

"Hey! What are you _doing_?" She moves toward the prankster as he balances precariously on the desk and places the chalkboard eraser in the gap between the door and the frame, giggling impishly to himself in anticipation. " _Na-ru-to!_ "

" _That's_ what he gets for coming late!" He defends himself and then hops down, shouting, "Surprise!

Hands on her hips and demeanor reproachful, Sakura enlightens him, "You're _asking_ for trouble. You _know_ you shouldn't do that." Despite her actions, Sasuke gets the distinct feeling she is just as excited about the possibility of duping their sensei as Naruto. The kunoichi he's familiar with certainly had no qualms with assisting Naruto in causing mayhem.

She looks to Sasuke for support, but he remains silent. He wouldn't be at all surprised if their elusive teacher 'fell' for the trick in order to fool them; the man is an expert at causing enemies and allies alike to underestimate him, even despite the fact that he's considered dangerous enough to have his name in bingo books. He finds himself curiously awaiting the results of the prank all the same.

Unfazed by his lack of a response, the pink-haired girl points out, no actual heat behind her words, "He's a _jounin_ , an elite ninja! There's no _way_ he'd fall for that! You're so _clueless_ , Naruto!"

As if to contrast her, their masked mentor suddenly pokes his head in the door, and the others watch in surprise as the eraser lands on his spiky hair in a puff of chalk dust. There's a moment of stunned silence, which is then broken by Naruto's boisterous laughter.

"I got him! He totally fell for it!" He boasts between chuckles, rudely pointing at his latest victim. Sasuke suppresses a smile at the utterly unimpressed expression on Kakashi-sensei's face.

Blushing in embarrassment, Sakura hastily apologizes, "I'm sorry, Sensei! I told him not to do it, but he wouldn't listen! _I_ would _never_ do anything like that!" He once again gets the sense that his female teammate isn't exactly sincere; he's sure their teacher has picked up on it as well.

Sasuke stares expectantly at the man as he appraises the three of them. After grabbing the offending object, Kakashi-sensei inspects it, muttering to himself, "Hmm... How should I put this?" Mimicking a standard thinking pose, he throws out casually, "My first impression of this group... You're a bunch of idiots."

Naruto stops laughing immediately and scowls. Sakura's surprise is mixed with a healthy dose of irritation. Sasuke thinks he _should_ be insulted, but after acting much the same with his own brats, he can only find it in himself to be amused. Their new sensei eye-smiles at them, orders them to meet him on the roof, and then proceeds to disappear in a whirl of leaves.

"What a jerk!" Naruto exclaims. He opens the door and stomps out into the hall and toward the stairs, muttering profanities.

Sakura is right on his heels, fuming, "Hmph! How can he call _us_ idiots when _he's_ the one who fell for the stupid prank?"

"Hn," He grunts noncommittally. Probably one of the first things every Uchiha learns - but never actually speaks of - is how to wear the Clan's famous apathy like a cloak. Second only to his brother, Sasuke is quite good at using it to mask his real emotions. Kakashi isn't one of them, but he could likely give Itachi a run for his money. Sasuke will have to be careful around him.

The jounin is lounging against the railing of the roof when they arrive, immersed in his treasured Icha Icha and practically oozing laziness. Sasuke wouldn't blame them if the other two have already completely written him off as an inept shinobi; even the man's barest movements are languid and relaxed.

"Alright. Why don't you introduce yourselves, one at a time?" Kakashi-sensei suggests as soon as they seat themselves, his book put away for the moment.

"Introduce ourselves?" Sakura parrots, befuddled. "What are we supposed to say?"

Gesturing airily with his hands, he clarifies, "Things you like, things you hate, dreams for the future, hobbies - things like that."

"Why don't _you_ tell us stuff first?" Naruto chimes in with his own question. "I mean, before we talk, tell us stuff about you, so we know how it's supposed to work."

Visible eye comically widened, he points to himself, "Me? I'm Hatake Kakashi. Things I like and things I hate..." He pauses in contemplation. "Eh, I don't feel like telling you that." Naruto and Sakura gasp in unison, and Kakashi-sensei continues, "My dreams for the future? ...Never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies."

Unamused, Sakura turns to Naruto and mumbles, "That was totally useless. All he really told us was his name."

"Uh-huh," Naruto nods in agreement.

Ignoring the comments, Kakashi-sensei says, "Okay. Your turn." He crosses his arms and inclines his head toward the blonde. "You on the right, you first."

Naruto proceeds to tell them about his ramen obsession and his dream to become Hokage, along with his reasoning behind it. It only serves to highlight the differences between this Naruto and the one from his world. Here, Naruto is mistreated, and his status as a jinchuuriki is widely known by the older generations whereas _there_ , he was known only as the Hokage's beloved son and was adored by the villagers. He'd wanted to become Hokage because he loved the village, and he wanted to protect everyone. There's also the fact that it was a dream of both of his parents.

This one's motivation, though - raise him in the eyes of the villagers who have 'disrespected' him. It makes something in him ache.

Sakura's introduction is, as expected, nothing like her other self's. She blushes and giggles and glances at Sasuke throughout the whole thing, her progress from earlier perhaps having been shoved aside once she was put in the spotlight; if any of them weren't aware of her crush on him before that moment, they'd have to be willfully blind to not be aware of it now. He tries not to show his unease - not because of her, precisely, but because he thinks of her as a sister, and the idea of a romance with her is alien and unwelcome.

As far as he knows, Sakura is the only child of civilians, and while she excels in the academics, she's average in everything else. Supposedly, her only motivation to become a ninja is to impress him, but Sasuke knows better. She hadn't met him until several years at the Academy, after all. His Sakura had had two shinobi family members - her brother and father, and they'd made sure to impress upon her the dangers of their lifestyle, as well as to train her to be a competent ninja. Not that she can't be one without that guidance, though. She's far stronger than people give her credit for.

When it's his turn, he is just as vague as Kakashi regarding everything but his 'dream' for the future. "I have no intention of saying I have a dream, but I _do_ have an ambition. That is to... kill a certain man one day." Shocked silence follows his declaration, but Sasuke doesn't elaborate.

He has no intention of avenging his Clan by killing Itachi, of course, but it's in his best interests to let everyone think as much. There won't be any awkward questions when he inevitably _does_ track down his brother; they'll simply assume it's revenge. His ever observant sensei won't be able to see through the deception because it _isn't_ one. Whenever he finds out whoever it was that ordered the massacre of the Uchiha Clan and sentenced Itachi to a life of misery in one fell swoop _will_ be struck down by his hand - even if it does turn out to be the Hokage.

Naruto leans slightly away from him, expression clearly stating his hopes that Sasuke wasn't talking about him, and Sakura regains her thoughtful look from earlier. Kakashi-sensei doesn't react outwardly, simply diving into explaining their survival test tomorrow. He knows what to expect, so he doesn't bother questioning it. The other two, on the other hand, are blindsided by the news that they could be sent back to the Academy, and their sensei takes great pleasure in feeding their fears.

Eventually, Kakashi-sensei dismisses them, but he leaves them with a warning. "Oh. Tomorrow, you'd better skip breakfast, or else... you'll puke." He grins and then shunshins away.

Sasuke resists the urge to roll his eyes, knowing very well what the man is planning. He glances at the other two, hesitating for a brief moment before deciding against warning them. They have no reason to believe him, and he can't give them one that would be satisfying. He'll just have to think of something else. That done, the three of them disperse, Sasuke heading home and Naruto following Sakura.

 **II.**

He arrives at the designated time the next morning, despite knowing their sensei won't actually show up for a while, and settles down in the grass in anticipation of the long wait. Sakura and Naruto slump to the ground beside him not a moment later, both of them apparently too tired to care much about sitting in such close proximity. His counterpart had been waking up around this time in order to train before classes began for years now _,_ and _he_ had become accustomed to waking at odd hours from his various missions; doing so now, regardless of his younger age, is all but habit.

When his teammates nod off a short time later (He knows exactly when they do because two warm weights settle on his back), he pulls out one of the scrolls he'd gotten yesterday and glances over it again. Sasuke had been curious about the history of this world and how it had matched up to his own (not to mention worried he'd make decisions based on inaccurate assumptions), so he'd taken the initiative to check out what paltry information the library could offer him. He'd then compared the official versions with their Uchiha equivalents - Being the 'last' Uchiha and _technically_ the Clan Head, he has access to pretty much every secret hidden away in the Compound, including their private library - as well as his own memory, and he'd managed to compile a list of events that had coincided within all three.

Luckily, the important parts of history, such as the founding of the village, the three wars, the Clans and their respective special abilities, and the prominent figures during those times, such as the Sannin, Kage, and war heroes, have all remained relatively the same. He doesn't put much stock in the _specifics_ detailed by the Clan _or_ the village because he's well aware both versions are biased accounts.

The other subject he'd researched had been parallel worlds; he has no intentions of following through with the shinigami's mysterious plans if there's even a sliver of a chance that he can return home. He hadn't been able to find much on the topic, however, as the general consensus is that such a thing isn't possible, or even if it is, it seems no one is particularly interested in finding out. Space-Time techniques are dangerous and difficult to fully understand, so the only knowledge available is vague and entirely unhelpful. Perhaps, should his sensei ever find out about Sasuke's world-hopping, or he convinces Obito to help him, he can garner intel from the only living people he knows who have any experience with such jutsu. Until then, it appears he'll have to make due with this world.

(He glances at the sleeping children using him as a pillow and finds that he doesn't mind... _that_ much.)

At around six, he puts away his reading materials and stands, carefully maneuvering the two of them to lean on each other and then stretching away the stiffness of his muscles after sitting still for so long. He hasn't exercised at all today, excluding his walk to the training grounds, and it's making him restless. The other two stir from their stupors despite his efforts, duplicate expressions of drowsiness adorning their faces, and it's amusing, the way they jump apart from each other as they've been burned. He refrains from commenting as they gain their bearings and peer around the clearing for their elusive sensei, deciding to warm up with his usual kata.

"Aww, man, he's not here yet?" Naruto whines, hopping to his feet.

Sakura scowls before realizing she's agreeing with Naruto and quickly admonishes, "Don't be so hardheaded, Naruto! Kakashi-sensei is a jounin; he's probably got lots of important stuff to do!"

Sasuke has to hold back a snort. The fact that the man isn't here at the Memorial Stone means that he's probably lounging around on a roof somewhere reading smut, or else he's been roped into another competition with Gai. He could even be observing them now from the forest. Sasuke has never been able to find the man when he didn't want to be found, so it's a likely possibility. That's one of the reasons he's decided to begin his training regime here, rather than at home. This is the first time Kakashi-sensei - or anyone - will see his new moves, and he wants the reveal to be as natural as possible.

"Tsk! What important stuff could _that_ guy help with?" Naruto throws back at her. He doesn't let her answer, muttering, "Why'd we have to get such a lame guy for a sensei, anyway?"

Considering Sakura hadn't been invested in arguing the man's case regardless, she turns away from the conversation and apparently only just notices Sasuke. Brightening instantly, she gushes, "Good morning, Sasuke-kun! You're such a hard worker, practicing without anyone telling you to!"

He pays no attention her, unsure how to answer such an enthusiastic observation, but their third teammate exclaims, "Hey! I practice on my own all the time, Sakura-chan!"

"That's because you _need_ the extra practice, Naruto," She points out, again without heat, before hastily ogling Sasuke once again. "Sasuke-kun doesn't~! He's a diligent shinobi!"

Her words are enough to bring out Naruto's competitive streak, as he shouts, "Oh yeah? Well, I can be diligent, too!" He then proceeds to do the basic Academy kata. Sasuke supposes he should consider this a good thing. All three of them need to grow stronger, not just him, since he won't always be able to protect them.

With this in mind, he says, "Sakura." The girl had been observing Naruto, but she whips around to face him, a delighted flush on her cheeks despite her surprise. "Since we're a team, we should train together, right?"

"Right," She replies with gusto, understanding what he's getting at. She's always been a smart girl. She then tenuously imitates Naruto's form, albeit more gracefully.

Finished with his own warm up, he steps back to observe his teammates. Sakura mechanically moves from one form to the next. Her stances are perfect, but they always don't flow into one another as easily they should. Naruto has the opposite problem; his forms are fluid, but they're always not positioned correctly. He spends a moment pondering how to correct both of them when such an act would likely be considered out of character, and then an idea hits him.

"Naruto, let's spar," He says, making sure it sounds less like a question and more like a command.

Startled, Naruto glances at him, and then his words sink in. Grinning at the prospect of a challenge, Naruto retorts, "What, do you want to get your ass kicked, teme?"

He snorts dismissively. "I'd like to see you try."

Naruto throws a punch, which he sidesteps, and the next thirty minutes are spent with the two of them fighting as Sakura watches on worriedly from the sidelines, occasionally dodging stray projectiles, as well as jutsu. This scenario allows him to adjust to actually fighting in a smaller body (whereas he's been working on simply getting it to move the way he wants) _and_ to fix some of the more obvious holes in Naruto's style, which he accomplishes by targeting those areas over and over again until Naruto builds a more durable defense.

Sparring with Naruto also enables him to gauge the level of prowess that will be expected of him. He has the experience of a jounin and the body of genin, but the lines between ninja ranks in terms of power are not so easily defined. A higher rank does not insure victory, after all. Fortunately, he has more leeway than even Naruto would in this situation since he's considered to be a prodigy. There is also the fact that he's an Uchiha - one of the last, and outsiders will have no way of knowing if any techniques or information he has are not simply Clan secrets. It's not uncommon for Clans to keep certain things to themselves.

Regardless, Sasuke has determined that sticking to his family's fire jutsu, along with the Academy basics, will be his best bet to fool Kakashi-sensei into thinking him nothing more than a fresh graduate. He already has undue attention on him for a variety of other things; he's not going to create more reasons for scrutiny.

Sasuke dispatches the last few clones, and before Naruto can summon more, he flickers behind him and levels a kunai at his throat. "Do you yield?" He demands, watching Naruto for any sudden movements or attempts to overtake him.

The orange-clad ninja gulps, clearly uneasy, and affirms, "Yeah, okay, I yield."

He removes the weapon and stores it back in his pouch. Naruto moves away from him and slumps on the ground, panting in exhaustion, and rather than hurry over to Sasuke, she kneels beside Naruto and checks him over for injuries. Clearly shocked, Naruto freezes for a moment before he smiles brilliantly and assures her, "I'm alright, Sakura-chan!"

"Who's worried about you, idiot?!" She huffs, bumping her fist lightly on his head. Naruto laughs, dodging the blows, and Sasuke watches them with a barely-there smile.

After she relents, Naruto regards him with an uncharacteristic air of seriousness. It seems as if he is going to ask Sasuke a question, but he stops himself at the last minute, instead claiming, "Next time, I'll beat you, teme!"

"Maybe you will," slips out before he realizes it, and both of them look at him in askance. He grimaces, embarrassed. He'd gotten caught up in the friendly atmosphere and forgotten himself. Backtracking, he says, "What I mean is... we're teammates now, so all three of us are going to get a lot stronger - together." Their expressions haven't changed, so he hastily adds, "Whether we want to or not."

It's still awkwardly silent, so he announces abruptly, "I'm going to check the forest for traps, just in case." With that, he hurries into the forest, intent on scoping it out for the ensuing survival test as he'd said - and if it saves him from whatever _that_ had been, well, all the better.

When he returns after a full sweep, his teammates are splayed out on the ground, Naruto more gracelessly than Sakura, and he actually hears the boy's stomach growling in what he assumes is hunger. Naruto only confirms this when he complains loudly, "I'm so _hungry_..."

As Sakura murmurs in agreement, it occurs to him that they hadn't eaten breakfast this morning in fear of puking during the test. Kakashi-sensei had pulled the same thing in his world, and despite knowing it was part of his genin test, Sasuke's mother had told him of the deception and made sure he ate something; the same thing had happened to his teammates with their respective parents.

He'd completely forgotten to deal with this. Isn't he supposed to be an adult? Ugh. He doesn't mention anything now, either, deciding to make sure they eat something after the test, at the very least. His decision to not start a conversation is taken right out of his hands, however, when Sakura spots him and inquires, "Oh, Sasuke-kun, did you find any traps in the forest?"

"No," He replies. He hadn't expected any, truthfully. He doesn't say anything more, and any further words are exchanged between the other two until their mentor finally deigns to show his masked face a little before nine.

Much too cheerfully, Kakashi-sensei greets them, "Morning, everyone. Ready for your first day?"

Naruto and Sakura hop to their feet and point accusingly at the man, shouting together, "Hey! You're late!"

Faking sheepishness, he explains, "Well, a black cat crossed my path, so I had to take the long way."

The duo growl in anger, obviously not buying the flimsy excuse, and even Sasuke is a little annoyed, despite knowing this particular test has a special time limit. Kushina-oba-chan and kaa-san were able to curb this particular bad habit of their sensei's (Mothers, especially shinobi mothers, can be terrifying in their own right), and the amount of time they had to wait decreased to only _one_ hour. _Four_ hours is just unacceptable.

"Well," The masked man coughs into his hand. "Let's get started." He moves toward the wooden poles near them and sets down an alarm clock on the one in the middle, leaving his hand on the top of it. "Here we go. It's set for noon." He presses down on the button, starting the timer.

Naruto "Hmm"s beside him in confusion, and Sasuke very nearly rolls his eyes at the man's love of being an enigmatic bastard, despite having pulled the same stunts on his own brats. He's quickly discovering it becomes a little less amusing the more it's done to him specifically.

Kakashi-sensei brandishes two bells tied together by string and explains, "Your assignment is very simple. You just have to take these bells from me. That's all there is to it." He lifts his hand, and the bells cling together. "If you can't get them by noon, you go without lunch." Naruto cries out, but the man ignores him, gesturing to the poles next to them. "You'll be tied to those posts, and you'll watch as I eat my lunch in front of you."

Naruto groans loudly, but Sakura realizes the contradiction, holding up two fingers in demonstration, "Wait a minute. There's three of us. How can there be only two bells?"

Eye-smiling, Kakashi-sensei reveals nonchalantly, "Well, that way, at least one of you will be tied to a post and ultimately disqualified for failing to complete the mission. That one goes back to the Academy." He idly dangles the bells. "Then again, all three of you could flunk out, too." Paying no heed to their horrified expressions, he goes on, "You can use any weapons, including shuriken. If you're not prepared to kill me, you won't be able to take the bells."

Sakura instantly protests, "Those weapons are too dangerous, Sensei!"

Naruto chuckles as he points out, "Especially since you couldn't even dodge that eraser."

Kakashi-sensei doles out blandly, "Class clowns are usually the weakest links. You can safely ignore them. Lowest scores. _Losers._ " That manages to wipe the grin off the Naruto's face. Addressing all of them, he says, "When I say start, you can begin."

Apparently thoroughly fed up with their sensei, Naruto pulls out a kunai and attacks him. Of course, being a jounin, Kakashi-sensei easily grabs the Naruto's wrist and appears behind him, forcing him to hold the kunai against his own neck - much like the position Sasuke had forced Naruto to yield in earlier. Sakura gasps in shock, and she and Naruto stare dumbly at the man.

Kakashi-sensei admonishes as the dust settles, "Don't be in such a hurry. I didn't say 'Start' yet." He lets Naruto go, and Sakura shakily backs up a couple of steps.

Kakashi-sensei continues his lecture, "But you came at me with the full intention of destroying me, so..." He laughs. "How can I say this? I'm actually starting to like you guys."

They get into position again without prompting. The jounin says, "Get ready, and... Start!"

The three of them disappear into the surrounding forest, and the survival test begins.

* * *

 **End Notes: This chapter involved a lot more copying and pasting of the original writing, but it's still very different and as such should be read again. That being said, I am definitely liking this version better, and I'm pleased you guys seem to agree.**

 **Leave a review?**


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